PROMEnhance - Enhancing participatory and innovative local development processes
PROMEhnance aims to contribute to the professionalisation, at EU level, of participatory and innovative local development processes. In order to achieve this, the project (SO1) collects evidence of existing and most recent developments on the topic (SO2) defines emerging competence needs and develops a reference competence framework, (SO3) designs and concept-tests a modular curriculum prototype and (SO4) offers learning opportunities and a transnational professional learning community.
By creating a synergic cooperation between HEIs and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) supporting and collaborating with local public authorities in 5 countries PROMEnhance will promote: a) exchange practices, knowledge and values; b) foster the development of social and intercultural competences and to create a transnational common ground, based on principles of sharing, unity, diversity and solidarity, and c) raise awareness on EU common values and scale up good practices of civic engagement and participation. In particular, the project promotes a long term relationship among HEIs encouraging their cooperation with local authorities and CSOs in view of enhancing social and economic innovation. Transnational learning paths will allow the consolidation of collaboration among research and teaching teams, and authentic intercultural learning experiences for students. The project will also enhance the capacity of HEIs to develop their “third mission” activities locally but within a transnational cooperation framework.
Also, PROMEnhance contributes to the priority of promoting inter-connected higher education systems, as 3 HEIs (+2 HEIs associates) of 5 EU countries will be closely collaborating to analyse practices, to develop and structure new training offers for their curricula. This close collaboration covers both the field of research and training and it will improve and strengthen the relations between the educational institutions involved, resulting in the creation of research and training partnership and exchanges which will benefit the quality of the research and training outputs of each partner involved that will continue even after the project ends.
In addition, stimulating innovative learning and teaching practices is one of the specific priorities to which this project responds (SO3, SO4). Competences and profiles for innovative local development will be identified in order to develop new specific and innovative learning and teaching practices and to include new and (very needed) profiles within academic offer. Furthermore, collecting and analysing evidence of existing and most recent developments on the topic will reinforce the interaction between research and innovation projects and policymakers promoting the development of new methodologies/practices in teaching and learning. Innovation in contents (responding to the identified competence needs) is linked with innovative learning strategies of a practical, project-based and context related nature, involving future and present employers of the students belonging to the relevant target groups. Theory and practice will not be organised in two successive phases, but integrated into jointly developed learning projects in which local authorities and CSOs will play an active co-design role. Intercultural competences development will be integrated in the transnational virtual student exchange that will constitute a significant part of every learning path proposed.
Team
